Melenchon, Fillon Tap Momentum in Quest of French Election Upset
- Republican and Communist-backed candidate hold Sunday rallies
- Both seeking to push out of third place ahead of April 23 vote
French Election Evolves Into Four-Way Race
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French presidential candidates Jean-Luc Melenchon and Francois Fillon are rallying supporters on Sunday as polls suggest they’re almost tied for third place with two weeks of campaigning left.
Melenchon, backed by France’s Communist Party, has powered ahead, reaching 18 percent support in the Bloomberg composite of voting intention polls, compared with less than 12 percent after the first televised debate on March 20. Emmanuel Macron, the independent who’s the nominal front-runner, turned his sights on Melenchon in the latest campaign sparring.